What are the two elements that make up an ionic compound?

The two elements that make up an ionic compound are a metal and a nonmetal. For instance, the combination of the metal calcium (Ca) and the nonmetal chlorine (Cl) form the ionic compound calcium chloride (CaCl2). In this compound, there are two negatively charged chloride ions for every positively charged calcium ion. The presence of equal positive and negative charges results in an overall neutral charge for the ionic compound. Non-metals typically possess high electronegativities, while metals have lower electronegativities. In bonds between these two types of elements, electrons shift from the metal to the non-metal due to the significant difference in electronegativities.